Identity that isn’t based solely on gender.
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Chie Shimada
Based on: The game by Spike Chunsoft
Translation/Adaptation: JN Productions
What They Say
Hinako thought she didn’t have any family, but on the day she starts high school her twin brother Hikaru suddenly appears and tricks her into taking his place. But the new school Hinako attends in his stead is beyond unusual. Now she must fight her way to the top of Shishiku Academy, an all-boys school of delinquents!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Hinako, an orphan, is ready to start over as a freshman in an all-girl high school. On her way, she gets tricked by a boy named Hikaru, who looks just like her. He feigns she injured him, and she must take his place at the entrance ceremony at his school or he will be expelled. She goes because she feels responsible, but this isn’t any ordinary school. It’s an all-boys school for delinquents and the entrance ceremony is a battle to determine the boss for each grade.
When she accidentally takes out the best candidate for the boss of her grade, rumors spread quickly about her lineage as the child of the yakuza. When she meets with up Hikaru, he’s in her school uniform and has taken her place at her school. He admits they are biological twins and since he’s not interested in violence or the yakuza, they should just keep switching places.
Back at the academy, Hinako realizes she will be alone again in high school. Though she was quick to fight in the past, she was hoping to start over. However, she finds her first friend in Totomaru, the boy she punched the first day. They are constantly being challenged as boss for the first years, but together they make short work of their competition. But, there’s the boss of the second years, Kira, that can’t seem to leave Hinako alone.
The next to target Hinako is Konparu. He accidentally believes Hinako punched one of his younger siblings. Once the misunderstanding is cleared, Konparu, announcing that he fought Hinako and Hinako one, so Hinako should be considered number one amongst the first years. The three of them stick together and become a team. Hinako realizes she is a tiny bit happy because for the first time she has real friends.
With the first years conquered, it’s on to the second years with Kira and Mirako at the top. Mirako is actually a popular idol and is ready to expose Hinako’s secret. She tries to suggest a fight to prove her manliness, but he refuses and instead invites her to his concert. Mirako is determined to expose Hinako to prove he is right that she is a girl. Kira tries desperately to help Hinako keep her secret (he knew her from their orphanage days), but it Hikaru, who is also a fan of Mirako, that ends up showing up and switching places at the last minute.
While Hinako and her boys end up helping out Mirako, there’s only Kira left to face amongst the second years. Kira isn’t really interested in fighting Hinako. While Kira is being protective of Hinako, she starts to have vague feelings of regarding Kira. It’s not until she makes a stop at the orphanage and runs into him that she remembers how she knows him. Kira makes it clear he knows she is standing in for her brother. Though Kira doesn’t want to hurt her, he forces her hand and says he will challenge her unless the real Hikaru shows up. Hinako stews of the situation and ends up fighting Kira to protect her spot in the world. She gets a good shot on him and he ends up resigning the fight. Now, Hinako needs to face the third years.
In Summary:
I’m generally a fan of gender-bender type stories like Ouran High School Host Club, but this story isn’t about tea and events, but instead about fighting. There are several comparisons that could be drawn between the two stories with the most prominent being that of gender identity. While Haruhi in Ouran High School Host Club did not feel her gender matter for the most part, Hinako actually does yearn to be “a normal girl”. However, Hinako realizes her gender isn’t as important as she thinks when Kira sees her and not her gender. He knew who she was despite having a twin that dressed in girls’ clothing. She also realized that the fantasy she had of living “like a normal girl” was something she could readily give up, because her place and her friends were at the all-boys school. So, while each character came to similar conclusions differently, the endpoint is what I like the most.
This story is definitely a shojo story. The art and the story tropes are the same. There’s simply a lack of female characters, which is good and bad depending on how you look at it. I also don’t know much about the game this story is based on, but the manga is fun and easy to read, even if it’s a little absurd at times. Which in the world of manga, is definitely not unusual! Definitely recommended if you are fan of gender-bender stories.
Content Grade: B-
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: B-
Text/Translation Grade: A
Age Rating: Teen
Released By: Shojo Beat (Viz Media)
Release Date: April 3, 2018
MSRP: $9.99
